On the evening of March 12, 1970, an unidentified woman called the Huntington Beach Police to report a man lying beside the road. When officers arrived, they found 25-year-old Thomas Astorina in a muddy ditch. Initially thought to be drunk, it was soon discovered that Thomas had been shot in the stomach with a .22 caliber pistol. This tragic event marked the beginning of a complex investigation into his death.
Thomas Astorina, a father of two who was separated from his wife, had been
living with three roommates at 350 Avocado Street in Costa Mesa. Just a month before his death, he had been arrested for possession of stolen property and reckless driving. This arrest led police to speculate that Thomas might have crossed someone, resulting in his untimely demise. The investigation quickly focused on his roommates, with Randall G. Allen being booked on suspicion of murder. The other two roommates, Robert Connolly and Robert Liberty, remained at large.
Robert Liberty, in particular, became a prime suspect due to his violent past and recent release from a state-run mental institution. Liberty had a history of mental illness and had previously been involved in the murder of Marcella Landis, whom he met in the same mental facility. His release in September 1969, after being deemed sane by a panel of psychiatrists, proved to be premature. Liberty's connection to Thomas Astorina's death was further solidified when he embarked on a crime spree shortly after the murder.
In June 1970, Liberty and a female companion, Kendell Bierly, committed a series of crimes, including the armed robbery of Liberty's mother and the murder of Robert Irion in San Diego. The murder of Irion, who was found surrounded by lit candles with a note reading "The Candlelight Killer Strikes Again," echoed the circumstances of Marcella Landis's death. This pattern of behavior led detectives to fear that Liberty would return to Orange County, prompting a widespread search for him.
Liberty's crime spree eventually led him to Colorado Springs, where he, Bierly, and a 17-year-old boy named Glenn Allen Fawcett rented a motel room. Their disruptive behavior culminated in the robbery of the motel office, during which they tied up the owner, his wife, and their child before stealing $100. Liberty and his companions were finally apprehended by police in Colorado Springs, bringing an end to his reign of terror.
The investigation into Thomas Astorina's death revealed a web of violence and mental illness, with Robert Liberty at its center. Liberty's actions not only claimed the lives of Thomas Astorina and Robert Irion but also left a trail of fear and devastation in their wake. The case highlighted the challenges of dealing with individuals with severe mental health issues and the tragic consequences that can arise when they are not adequately monitored.
